


vacation mayday

by sweetgoodgraciousangel



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Champion of Alola takes a vacation in galar, Regrets everything, and gets caught up in the Galar plot, btw the champ of Alola is NOT the player characters, ill explain more in the summary lol, of sun and moon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21764665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetgoodgraciousangel/pseuds/sweetgoodgraciousangel
Summary: You, the first ever reigning Champion of Alola, have decided after three years of solid work you were going to take a vacation in the region of Galar for a month.Maybe you shouldn’t have done that.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 210





	1. Chapter 1

“So, when ya leaving?”

Kukui turned his head as you held you the book he asked for from his shelves. He took it with a grateful nod, flipping open the pages as he once again turned back to everything he had sprawled out. He’s got some sort of science-y stuff in front of him—things you don’t really understand, to be honest. You just like to help—or well, feel like you’re helping by handing him stuff—and watch. 

“Early, early morning. I’ll shoot you a message before we leave.”

“Early flights usually aren’t too bad, right? Is it a long flight?”

You shake your head, watching him skim passages in the book and continuing to flip. You’ll never cease to be amazed at how Kukui could multitask like this. You’re not entirely sure what’s suddenly peaked his interest like this, but you can see the fire in his eyes—he’s determined to find something out.

“Not too bad if you ask me. We should be there in a decent time frame. I have the reservation for the home set up and everything.”

Kukui laughed softly. “Any sight-seeing you plan to do?”

“As much as I can. Though mostly I plan to sleep.”

Now, Kukui laughed openly. He stopped on a page detailing a photo of what looked like some random rare move only so few Pokémon could learn. The passage about it used a lot of big fancy complicated words and—well, you suppose you’ll leave this stuff to the Professor.

“Champ, you’re going to a whole other region just to sleep? Why not just stay home at that rate, silly!”

You shrug, though you can’t help the smile that pulls on your lips. “I’m kidding, Kukui. While sleep is a priority, have you heard of the Gym Challenge over in Galar? I’ve already reserved a seat at the stadium for the introductory ceremony. Apparently it’s super intense.”

“Oh, yes, the Galar Gym Challenge—I’ve seen some video clips and read a little about it! Thinking about joining?”

You cringed slightly. You had fun during your own adventure but you would much rather not have to do a repeat of any of it ever again. Fighting Totem Pokemon was a whole category of difficult by itself.

“Uh, preferably not. Been through my own trials, you know? But I am curious to see what happens. I think I’m gonna try and stay up to date on the whole thing. Apparently each year it’s a heck of a good watch.”

“Ooh, you’ll have to text me some videos too if you take any.”

“Will do! Might have to pack some extra Pokéball’s as well in case I meet any new friends I just can’t part with.”

Kukui grinned, writing something down in a pad of paper filled with little notes. Professor research both seemed very calm and intense at the same time—though maybe that’s because you knew how laid back and chill Kukui was. That notepad was packed with writing big and small though—some drawings here and there.

“You’ll have to let me meet em if you do! More moves for me to research, right, Champ?”

Ah, and his thoughts never strayed too far from his work. You can’t help but smile though. Kukui was here for you since day one, when you moved to the region of Alola all the way from Unova and you can’t help but appreciate him wholesomely. He’s like a big brother to you, always happy, smiling, and very passionate about his work. Plus, he’s really good at cheering people up when they need it. 

Rotomdex finally came back into the room from whatever it had been distracted by before. Rotom landed on your shoulder and gave you a disapproving look. 

“Hey, we should get back to your place and start packing! A month long trip requires lots of stuff, you know!”

Oh shoot. Rotom was right. You haven’t packed a single thing yet. You were definitely going to be paying for this later. 

“Heck—right, right. I need to go, like—now. See ya later, Kukui!”

You give him a tight hug. He returns it with enthusiasm and pats your back. He smiles warmly at you as you both let go.

“I’ll miss ya for the month you’re gone, Champ. You’ll have to bring me back a souvenir.”

“I’ll miss you too, Kukui. I’ll call as often as I can though! Make sure to take care of the league for me.”

Kukui nods. “Wouldn’t dream of anything else! Be careful out there!”

You turn to leave his lab, waving at him one final time as you hike up the steps into his upstairs living area. Rockruff peaks his head up from where he’s curled up on the couch, and with a sigh and a smile you walk over to him to gently scratch behind his ears—he’s a good boy after all, you’ll miss him too. 

Rotomdex urges you again to hurry home, and giving Rockruff one final pat you turn toward the door and leave. 

You can’t help but feel a little sad. You know you’re coming back of course—it’s just a vacation! But you’ll miss everyone here in the meantime. Aside from that though, you can’t deny the happiness and excitement that’s boiling in your veins. It’s been a long time since you’ve done any form of traveling and you know for sure this trip is going to be amazing.

You have to get through packing first though.

**...**

You zipped your final suitcase shut with a huff.

If you ever thought packing for a three day trip was a lot, then you should really pack for an entire month long vacation. That’ll make you rethink real quickly how much stuff you’ll want to take with you. Do you really need all of the essentials? Because you swore if your suitcases were another pound lighter they might just snap you in half from lifting them. But you were finally done with it, so you suppose you shouldn’t complain too much. You were always someone who liked to prepare ahead of time, but this particular instance you were forced to wait a day before your plane took off to be able to pack everything. 

Being a Champion, after all, called for a lot of your time and attention. Yes—you kind of goofed off from it by hanging out with Kukui for most of the day but can you really blame yourself? Packing is exhausting, spending time with someone who you really don’t get to see a whole lot anymore sounded a lot more appealing.

“Lookin’ good!” Rotomdex chimed in. With a smile, you push the suitcase aside to your stuff and flopped back onto your bed. Your muscles complained with the abrupt movement but you were happy to acknowledge that after endless days of rising and working were finally going to catch a break. Don’t misunderstand—you really loved being Champion. The people of Alola admired you and your strength and you can’t help but be thankful for that more and more every day that you felt as if you had a purpose with your position. And not to mention that you were undoubtedly going down in history—being the first ever Champion Alola’s ever had.

But still, you were looking forward to this vacation.

“What time does the plane leave tomorrow?” Rotomdex asks, coming to rest on the pillow next to your head. You sighed loudly.

“Uh… early morning, around 6. So we should be up at least around 4. If we wanna make it on time.”

“Understood! I’ll set a couple of alarms!”

You semi regret booking a flight that took off way early in the morning, but you also didn’t want to sound whiny. Kukui said those kinds of flights weren’t too bad after all. It was only one more day of rising at the crack of dawn before you could crash and sleep for as many days as one person could fit into a month. You’re aware that doesn’t make sense, but when you’re overworked, you suppose nothing you really do ends up making any sense.

“I’m so excited!” Rotom shouts, hovering above you now. “The professor said he would send me an upgrade tomorrow morning that’ll expand my data to be able to update as we observe Galar Pokémon! Isn’t that amazing?!”

“That’s neat. We’ll have plenty of time for observation, I’m sure,” you comment, eyes fluttering shut. Rotomdex’s enthusiasm didn’t waver though. Didn’t it know that you both were going to be dead tired if you didn’t get to sleep soon? The moon was already up high in the sky and if you didn’t try and get some shut eye now, you weren’t going to get any for as long as it takes you both to get to the airport, sit through the flight and make it over to where you were staying.

“Did you know Galar has regional variants in Pokémon too? I was reading up on them last night!” Rotom exclaims, floating in circles around your head.

“I think I’ve heard about them,” you reply. “Maybe we’ll get to see some tomorrow.”

“Exciting!”

“Rotom.”

“Eh?”

“Let’s go to sleep already.”

You didn’t know what time it was, but the sun was down and if you were getting up as early as four in the morning then you were going to bed  _ now _ . Rotom seemed to agree, settling down on the tiny pillow on your nightstand you sewed for it when you both met for the first time.

“I have the alarms set!” Rotom said, and you nodded in thanks. You had no idea if you were going to actually be able to catch some sleep but there was sure as heck nothing preventing you from trying.

“Night,” you say to Rotom as you click off your lamp, getting comfortable under your blankets. Rotom put itself into sleep mode, already out like a light. Sigh, if only it was that easy for you.

You were excited to see Galar. You just hoped that excitement wouldn’t make you lose sleep.

…

Getting up at four in the morning when you’re overworked is similar to being hit with an insult. It hurts for a moment, then simmers as a burden weighing your mind down. You were surprised you could even see what was in front of you the entire process of going to the airport, going through every little process the airport could think of and honestly you had to hand it to Rotom—if it weren’t for it, you were sure you would have messed this entire thing up.

You remember the last time you boarded a plane, it was with your mother to fly from Unova to Alola. It was the first time you’d ever been on a plane to be honest. The process was new but you’d made it through just fine, despite how you learned how easily airsick you could become. Still, that didn’t quite matter because as soon as you boarded and were seated on the plane, all you had to do was lean your head back to be out cold.

Rotom wasn’t really surprised apparently. It landed on your shoulder and you knew you could trust Rotom to take care of things while you were asleep. You were probably going to sleep through the entire flight to be honest and well, you didn’t really care. 

Kukui said he would take care of the League while you were gone. Everything was shut down for the time being but trainers were still open to take the trials—just not challenge the Elite Four or the Champion. Kukui had temporarily offered to be a sit in Champ but you knew how hard that would be to balance with his work, so you insisted the whole thing just be called off while you were gone.

If you dreamed, you couldn’t recall what it was about. Everything was hazy and you occasionally could vaguely register a jostle in your seat or the sound of hushed voices whispering to one another. After what felt like only a minute, Rotom was waking you up.

“Look, look! It’s the Galar region! Look out the window!” 

You were drowsy with sleep, but you rubbed your eyes with the back of your hand and looked out the glass right next to you. Your vision focused, and you let a gasp leave your mouth. 

_ Wow _ . Okay,  _ wow _ . You can’t see a whole lot yet but you knew you had to be landing soon, but otherwise the view at the moment was  _ breathtaking _ . From what you could see, it was way more beautiful than the pictures you’d clicked through online. It was enough to make you perk up a little more, scooting just a tiny bit closer to the plane to watch as the landscapes slowly got bigger as your plane began to descend. 

“And we get to explore all of it,” you say under your breath. Rotom couldn’t seem any more thrilled, pressed right up against the window next to you. You hoped you weren’t being an annoying tourist but golly, even the people that lived here had to admit this place was stunning, right? Right? How could they not?

You vaguely remember thinking the same thing when you landed in Alola all that time ago. Maybe you were just a sucker for adventure, or had an eye for appreciating the more natural things in life. You didn’t care. All you knew is you could not wait to get off this plane, make it to the place you were staying, maybe get some more shut-eye in before you decided on where in the world you were going first.

You knew the opening ceremony for the Gym Challenge started tomorrow. Hopefully you weren’t jet lagged out of of your mind by then so could you focus on the events. You had to admit you were pretty thrilled you were able to reserve a seat in the stadium in time—apparently these things sold out like hot cakes, so you were thankful you made it happen.

“This is wild,” You mutter under your breath. “I’m not gonna wanna leave.”

“Where are we headed when we land?”

“Um—“ you had to think for a moment, with your mind scattered, “Motostoke, I think the city is called? It’s very rustic looking. I reserved a vacation house there.”

“They do those here?”

Not exactly, but...

“They do when they find out they’re housing a Champion from another Region,” you reply quietly. Rotomdex seemed to agree, sitting down on your shoulder finally. You knew you were going to have a better view very soon, so you leaned your head back off of the glass and rested your neck. You had no real concept of time at the moment and really everything including your body felt like it was moving through thick jelly.

And the absolute dread you felt when you realized yes, you were going to have to move your own body with your two legs all the way to your vacation house—at least a little bit. The thought of anything active when you had literally no clue what was right in front of you due to exhaustion was absolutely awful. But you supposed you would call this the final stretch—just one more trip and you’d be able to do whatever the heck you want in no time.

The landing was a little rough but it was fine, you certainly got jostled awake. You stretched in your seat and yawned, a sleepy tear gathering in the corner of your eye. You wiped it away and stood. Time to get this over with.

Getting off the plane was fairly quick and easily—much to your relief. A little better than checking into the airport at least. You shot Kukui a text announcing your plane had landed and you were finally here. You were able to gather your luggage within a couple of minutes and, with a deep breath, you walked outside the airport and into your first step into the Region of Galar.

...Okay, you were still at the airport technically. It was nothing too impressive yet. Nevertheless it made you feel incredibly accomplished, even if you were still staring at all the basic things of the grounds of an airport. Each step of a big journey started  _ somewhere _ , you supposed.

You had asked the front desk of the airport how you could call a taxi from here, and with the smile the kind employee handed you something with some information for a “Corviknight Taxi” and albeit you had no idea what in the world that meant, you did what the instructions said and waited outside. You examined the slip the employee gave you and noticed the logo appeared to be some big bird Pokémon carrying what looked like a load of cargo. Surely, that could not possibly dictate what the service actually was right? You had the Ride Pokémon back in Alola now that you think about it.

Didn’t stop you from nearly shrieking as said large bird Pokémon landed a few inches from you in a marked parking space for what appeared to be solely for these Corviknight Taxi’s.

Rotom’s screen blinked, then a question mark rose.

“Eh? I have no data of thizzz Pokémon in my dex!”

“Didn’t the Professor send you that update?”

“He was supposed to! Maybe he forgot?”

“Huh. Well, uh. In we go?”

“In that—carrier thing?!”

You rolled your eyes and grabbed the Dex in the air, holding it close to you as you smiled at the rather cool Pokémon and slid inside the carrier, pulling your luggage along with you. Rotomdex squirmed out of your hold and floated beside you, not very pleased, but still somewhat interested in the surroundings around you both.

“Cozy in here at least,” you said, and Rotomdex seemed more relaxed now.

The carrier—taxi part?—jostled a bit, and you felt yourself be lifted off of the ground. Your stomach flipped. You were asleep most of your plane flight, but you were wide awake for this (somewhat) and you felt the little Butterfree’s fluttering about your guts. You were really prefer not to make an entrance into Galar by vomiting in your first Corviknight Taxi, but thankfully you felt yourself settle down a bit. This Pokémon—Corviknight, you assumed?—was actually very graceful in both flight and how steady it was holding onto the Taxi. You melted in your seat and closed your eyes. You were going to tip extra solely for the fact Rotomdex was already far along taking photos with its camera, all around the inside. 

“Smile!” Rotom exclaims, and you pose briefly for it to snap some pictures. With a satisfied buzz, it came to settle in the seat across from you. It’s a small space but definitely safe and comfortable. You couldn’t help but yawn again though—you had no idea what time it was here just yet and you’re sure the difference will kick you in the butt a bit, but first things first: get to the house, unpack what you can, search some places to eat or order from, then relax for the rest of the day.

“Hey Rotom, look up some place we can eat at that’s nearby where we’re going.”

“On it!”

Better to get a head start after all.

You felt the Corviknight slowly start to descend into the area below. You caught a glimpse of the outside and saw a rush of trees, some buildings and finally the taxi came to a full halt. The carrier jostled a bit when you touched the ground but it was a smooth landing. You climbed out with the luggage in hand and tipped the Pokémon extra well—it did a good job after all, it deserved it.

“This is it,” you say, breathing in the air around you.

Motostoke. Your first real stop and stay in Galar. The city itself was gorgeous—at least to you it was. The streets were bustling, people walking in and out of shops and what looked to be diners and cafes. Pokémon you didn’t even recognize were bouncing beside their trainers, happy and bright. The energy flowing through the people reached you for sure. The city was as rustic as it looked in photos—old, worn but definitely well loved and cherished. It was, as you would say,  _ aesthetic _ .

You looked toward your housing with a smile on your face. Suddenly, you didn’t feel so tired.

You walked toward the house, key in hand. It’d been sent to you ahead of time. Maybe it was weird to comment on, but it was a very stylish key—something you would imagine something of older times using. The house itself was small, but you did that on purpose—while being a Champion paid great, you were always more accustomed to enjoying the little things in life.

You unlocked the door and stepped inside, dragging your luggage in. Instantly, you heard Rotom’s camera going off again. Not that you could really blame it. The inside had been decorated very lavishly, posh and polished for a nice and beautiful for your stay. You couldn’t help but be slightly distracted, shutting the door behind you and leaving your luggage off to the side as you looked at everything. The living area had a fire place and television, comfortable enough to fit a small group of people and the kitchen was a lot like what you were familiar with back in Alola. The style reminded you a lot of your mother’s tastes in decoration—painted in deep purples and golds. 

Trotting up the stairs, you found the two bedrooms and bathroom. Each were done in the same style of the rest of the home and you were quite glad this is the place you settled on. 

You were satisfied.

You came back down the steps and looked at Rotom, who was busy still looking over everything.

Maybe unpacking could wait.

“Hey Rotom,” you called, “did you find any restaurants?”

It turned toward you with a beep.

“Oh yezzz! There’s a cafe nearby here. The reviewzzz are all positive and rave about their sandwichezzz and specialized drinks! Doezzz that sound good?”

“Perfect,” you reply. You knew you looked like a total mess, but a sandwich and drink didn’t call for pearls and formal wear, did it? Even if it did, you don’t really think you’d care at the moment. Still, at the very least to have some sense of organization you pulled your luggage upstairs into the room you decided to stay in and pushed it off into a corner.

Right now, you were starving.

**…**

Despite being from another Region, people still recognized you.

You were able to get through ordering your meal for you and your Pokémon and had your drink served to you when you heard the undeniable whisper of, “Hey, isn’t that the Champion from Alola?”

You weren’t a very confrontational person, nor a very actively social being, so when the whispers had started you felt your face heat up a little in embarrassment. You were never very open about making a scene in public when you were out and about in Alola, and thankfully after so long the buzz about you appearing in different locations on the news died down pretty quickly. But still, you kind of suspected this was going to happen.

“Pardon me—could we get a picture together? I’m sorry to bug you, I know you’re eating and all—“

You raise your hand. 

“Not at all.”

The person smiled wide. “R-Really?! Thank you! I’m sorry again, mate—“

“Don’t apologize! I’d be more than happy to!”

While you had no problem taking a few photos with people, all of them tagging you on social media, when the crowd began to gather around you was when you had a problem. You had finally gotten around to your meal—and wowie, Rotom picked a good place—and you ate the whole thing rather quickly. Your phone kept going off with notifications, all from social media—how in the heck did a news article already come out? You opened the message with curiosity to see a bolded headline:

The Champion Of Alola Visits Galar?!

It’s a rather short article, feeling as if it was written in under five minutes or less. Mainly detailing the experience of a reporter witnessing you board off your plane.

Goodness, maybe you should hurry back to the house. This was getting to be a bit much. You let your Pokémon finish their meals alongside you and you returned them to their Pokéballs. People were still sort of crowding you, but you apologized and slipped past them. Thankfully, you made it out into the open and the house wasn’t too far of a walk. You made it back in time to shut the door behind you with a huff.

Well, that was a start to a vacation for sure.

“Talk about wild!” Rotom exclaimed, sitting on your shoulder. You looked at it with a sigh.

“Yeah, I didn’t really mind though. To prevent restaurants from going into chaos maybe we should order take out from now on.”

“Agreed!”

You decided now would be the best time to introduce your Pokémon to the house. You reach back into your pocket and released them all into the home.

Immediately, they take to the space. Your Spinda wobbles over toward the fire place and sits in front of it, and well—you’re not entirely sure what she’s doing but she’s seemingly having a good time and that’s what matters. Your Primarina has made herself cozy right on one of the couches, next to your Toucannon. Your Alolan Sandslash is nervously looking around, but ultimately sits near the others. He was the most timid of your team but definitely strong. And finally, your Raichu and Musharna are gathering around the TV. You suppose there’s no better way to get them all situated here than to start with that.

You turned on the TV and sit back on the only open couch and flip through the channels. Rotom is floating next to you, then gasps aloud.

“Oh no! How am I supposed to watch Alolan Detective Laki?!”

You laughed. “I’m sure Kukui will record the episodes you’ll miss.”

“Dang it…”

Rotom drooped over slightly and you shake your head with a smile. Your Spinda has risen and wobbles over to you with her arms up, and you lean down to lift her onto your lap where you gently pat the top of her head.

You settle on the news. You know it’s not the most interesting thing but you guessed it was better than nothing.

Currently they were broadcasting an intense report about the ceremony starting tomorrow in the Motostoke arena. You reminded Rotom to set an alarm for all of you to be awake on time, and with a buzz it’s done. You lean back on the couch—an extremely comfortable one—and invest in the reporters words.

“—and like in previous years, Chairman Rose will be introducing our very own Galar Gym Leaders and this years Gym Challengers. From what we’ve seen so far, this year will be packed with tons of competitors coming in to face the trials and battles, in a glorious attempt to face off with our very own Champion Leon!”

Hm. Maybe you’ll get to meet this Leon guy someday. Would be interesting to meet other Champions from other regions. They flashed a couple photos of the fella and wow, he’s got style for sure. Kind of silly. But definitely will go down in style if anything.

“And now, onto the newest and hottest trending topic: the Champion of Alola has arrived in Galar!”

You gasp slightly. Word gets around pretty quickly here, doesn’t it?

“According to one of our reporters this morning, and quite a few of social media photos, it seems the Alolan Champion has come to visit our Region of Galar during the time of our Gym Challenge! How exciting! I hope you enjoy your stay here, Champ!”

You sigh slightly but can’t help but almost let a small laugh come out. It’s not that big of a deal to be honest. As long as it doesn’t crowd up too much of your time here, of course. You came here to get away from the whole Champion business, and it’d be a little counterproductive to do otherwise.

The night passes by in peace. Your Spinda falls asleep while you’re cradling here and you feel yourself start to get sleepy as well. Rotomdex began to settle down on the cushion beside of you, clearly considering going into sleep mode. 

Not until your phone started ringing.

You could only wonder who in the world was calling you? Your first thought was Kukui, maybe checking in on you to make sure the flight went good and you made it okay, but you raised an eyebrow when you realized it’s a number you don’t recognize.

And they’re requesting a video chat?

You know it’s really not a smart idea, but you answer it anyway. Cause honestly, why not? You don’t have anything better to do right now. 

The video was blurry only for a few seconds, then it settled as a rather stylish man came into view. He smiled. However, that didn’t clear up any of your confusion. 

Wait a minute… there’s no possible way...

“Hello! I’m sorry to bother you all of the sudden, but I couldn’t help but overhear the news! It’s nice to meet you, Champ!”

Isn’t this that Chairman Rose person they were literally just talking about on the news? How in the world did he get your number? No wait, why is he calling you in the first place? What the  _ heck _ is happening? Your Spinda stirs from your movement, swaying a bit as she looks up at you. 

You sputter, barely managing a reply.

“I… uh. Nice to meet you too, sir?”

Rose smiles, warmth and friendliness crinkling the corners of his eyes. As inviting and kind as he appears, this definitely did not erase the rather… odd phone call. Video chat. Whatever it is.

“Haha, sorry if I’ve startled you! When I heard you flew into Galar I had my assistant do some research for some ways to contact you! I can’t help but think—you’ve got perfect timing! So, why have you come to Galar, my friend?”

You’re sure your brain is dead when it’s coming to responses. Your thought process is all over the place and you can barely think. Words have apparently disconnected themselves from your mouth. After an awkward cough (okay, how did this assistant of his find your number?) you finally muster a response. 

“Um, just—a vacation, sir. I’ll be here all month.”

“How exciting! I hope you enjoy your stay here then! I was calling because I wanted to make an offer.”

He seemed to briefly acknowledge your response but you could tell there were other things he had on his mind, so with a nod you prompt him to continue.

“The Opening Ceremony is in Motostoke Arena tomorrow, and I just have to say: how perfect would this be? You could be our special guest!”

A special guest? During this ceremony everyone is going nuts over? You kind of feel like you wouldn’t really belong in a seat as a special guest in an event like that. It’s kind of an abrupt plan—and you really weren’t looking forward to any involvement aside from sitting in the stands and watching the action go down.

“I mean, that sounds great and all—but are you sure, sir? I wouldn’t want to intrude on anything.”

“I’m positive! It would be an honor to have you. You could give the Challengers your blessing.”

Whatever… that may mean. You suppose it’s a way of saying you could tell them good luck. That wouldn’t hurt a bit, you suppose. Those kiddos are probably nervous out of their minds, a little encouragement wouldn’t hurt, would it? You’re still hesitant though—not positive on how many people would want to see a Champion from another Region show their face around an event like this, but you guess… it wouldn’t hurt.

“...Okay, I accept! What time should I be there?”

“Seven in the morning sharp! I’ll have a uniform prepared for you.”

“Uniform?”

“Ah, call it a gift, if you will. Something to commemorate your time with us. A little special outfit that’s tradition to wear to these events. We’ll definitely have to involve you in future events, of course. That is if you’d want that.”

Something tells you accepting this offer means you can’t exactly worm your way out of this, so if you grabbed the shovel, you might as well start digging the tunnel of public appearances—so to speak. Well, so much for avoiding the whole Champion thing while you’re here.

“Oh, I mean—sure, of course. I still have a lot of questions though…”

Like for starters,  _ how _ did his assistant find your number? You’re not over that yet. Why are the reporters in Galar ridiculous quick in writing articles and things to air on their news channel? Or perhaps—

“Ah, maybe sometime later we can discuss all of this in Hammerlocke, where my power plant is. But we’ll have you prepped and ready for tomorrow’s ceremony! It’ll be on the big screens so polish up your best!”

“Yes, of course…”

“Everything sounds good? Great! You’ll have a proper good time, I promise. I’m hosting a banquet afterward for just the Gym Leaders and our own Champion. You should attend that too!”

“I think that’s good—“

“Fantastic! See you tomorrow!”

And then the call ended, just like that, like you’d shaken hands over business you’re not sure you entirely understand. You couldn’t help but stare at your phone in confusion. Rotomdex was now sitting on top of your couch, a similarly baffled emote on its screen.

“He was quite the character,” Rotom finally said. You nodded.

“You’re telling  _ me _ .”

Maybe it’s not quite the way you expected your first day in Galar to be, but it’s certainly interesting. That’s for sure.

  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You attend the Ceremony and the banquet afterward, however you can’t help but feel like there’s something going on you don’t know about.

Kukui couldn’t believe the story you gave him over text, so much to the point he had to call you.

“You sure know how to make an entrance, Champ!”

You laugh awkwardly, setting down bowls of Pokémon Food on mats you laid out for your team to enjoy. Leaning your head against the phone so it didn’t slip, you started on your own breakfast. You’re still pretty jet lagged, but otherwise you were somewhat refreshed today. Nerves were boiling inside of you at the thought of walking out in front of all those people today. Matches and events like this in Alola just weren’t as big and booming, and even though you were on the ground level of Motostoke you could see just how big that Stadium was. You wondered how many people could fit in there, it was probably going to be ridiculously  _ packed _ .

“I didn’t mean to,” you finally responded. “All I did was grab a bite to eat…”

“You’re a superstar now!”

“Ehhh… I hope not.”

You pour yourself a glass of water and set it on the table, hearing the timer for your own food go off. You pulled it out of the microwave oven and sit down, watching your Pokémon enjoy their breakfast as you waited for your food to cool.

“Aha, aside from that, how’s everything over there?”

You drank some of your water, a smile on your face.

“A lot better than I expected. Oh by the way, Kukui, did you send Rotom that update for the Galarian expansion on its Dex? It really wants to take some photos and save data.”

“Oh! Shoot I forgot! I’ll get on that right now! Tell Rotom I’m sorry!”

“Of course, of course. Hey, I have to be at that ceremony really soon, I should probably hop off so I have time to get ready.”

“Yeah for sure! You’ll have to tell me how it goes!”

“Will do! See ya, Kukui!”

“Bye!”

You hang up the phone and set it aside, finally eating your breakfast. Kukui was always a good person to chat with when you needed to brighten up a bit or lose some nerves. You just hoped you knew what you were doing out there. Pretend till the very end. That Chairman Rose really didn’t give a whole lot of specifics on what you’d be doing and honestly you’re not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

Well, you suppose you should hurry.

You finish eating rather quick and clean up both you and your Pokémon’s dishes. Rotomdex comes floating from down the steps, appearing in the kitchen. 

“Kukui hazzz finally sent the update! What a relief! I wazzz worried we weren’t going to be able to research anything while we’re here.”

“Ah, that’s good. I just got off the phone with him and reminded him about it.”

“Good! I’m excited about today! How about you?”

You put the dishes away, sighing loudly.

“Just hoping it goes well. I don’t really know what I’m going to be doing.”

“Me either, but at least that Chairman Rose fella seemzzz nice!”

You nodded. He  _ was _ nice, if not a little strange. You’re still not too sure how to feel about the fact his assistant was able to dig up your private information but you didn’t really want to waste too much time pondering about it. You promised you would be there, so you had to get ready. 

You quickly cleaned yourself up and made sure you were looking your best. You took a deep breath while looking yourself in the mirror in the bathroom and found that you were calming down rather quickly. By the sound of it, it was a rather short ceremony, so maybe you shouldn’t be stressing too much.

You threw on some shoes, gathered your team in their Pokéballs, called for Rotom to hurry up and headed outside. The morning here was crisp and chilly, the sounds of the city oddly quiet. You vaguely remembered how to navigate the place from reading, and you made your way over to the lift in the distance. As you drew closer to it, noises and voices started to get louder with each step. You hopped on the lift and yelped slightly as it took you upward in a sudden jerk into the air.

Your eyes widened.

Ah, so that’s where everyone was. The Stadium was overflowing with people. 

You hesitantly made your way forward, not really wanting to shoulder through the crowded but ultimately not really having a choice. You apologized with each person you ran into and tried not to make a scene, and when you finally made it to the front door, a person dressed in all white and wearing sunglasses looked at you and nodded.

“Oh hey! Just on time, mate! Head on inside—Chairman Rose is waiting!”

You were ushered in by two more people wearing the same uniform, everything passing by in a blur. You barely got a glimpse at the lobby of the Stadium before you were guided into the back, over hearing whispers from the crowd—“That’s the Alolan Champ!”, “What are they doing here?”—and before you knew it, things got incredibly quieter. You were taken further in, and standing in the distance was a blonde woman and a very familiar man.

It’s only then you’ve noticed the two wearing the uniforms have disappeared.

“Mister Rose…?”

He turns around at the mention of his name, and when he sees you his eyes go wide and a smile lights up on his face. He comes closer and pulls you in a brief, surprisingly professional hug, patting your back twice firmly. The blonde woman behind him says nothing, hands laced together in front of her and her lips pursed into what you would bet is a permanent distasteful expression.

“The guest has arrived! It’s so nice to meet you in person! How are you today?”

You’re a bit stunned from the sudden hug but you shake it off, mustering a smile. Rotomdex is hovering on your shoulder, watching the entire thing unfold with curiousity.

“I’m just fine, how about you? Oh, and when do we start?”

Rose stepped back and straightened out his suit, smiling as he gestured to who you could only assume was his assistant.

“I’m happy to be here for another year! My assistant Oleana here will show you to the locker room where you can change into the uniform we’ve prepared for you. I hope it fits well - we had to rush it over night, but I think it will look splendid on you!”

The woman - Oleana - nodded, one hand on her hip as she looked you up and down, as if examining your soul with that stingy judgemental look on her face. Now again, you’re not a very confrontational person. You let a lot of things slide, but this… was annoying. The entire minute or two you’d been talking to Rose, she’s just stood aside and not said a word or offered to introduce herself. Talk about stuck-up.

“I look forward to seeing it,” you finally say. Then your eyes widen as you remembered a very important discussion.

“But wait, Mr. Rose, what exactly will I be doing? I know I’m a special guest, but what does that entail?”

Rose nods, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He taps on a few things and for a moment you think he’s going to show you something, but he instead turns to Oleana and whispers something. Perplexed by the odd display, you wait for an answer, and when Rose does turn back to you it’s with an unwavering smile (which you’re beginning to think is plastic to be honest) and that same, charismatic tone speaks proudly as he finally regards you.

“I’ll begin with a speech that usually starts off the entire Ceremony, and then introduce all the Challengers we have this year. However after I show off our Gym Leaders, I’ll call you and Leon out to the field simultaneously. Together with the Champion and Leaders, you’ll give the Challengers a blessing and word of good luck.”

“That’s… it?”

“Why, yes! Were you expecting more?”

Then are you more of a special face to just throw around for the Ceremony or was there an actual purpose for you being here? Either way, you didn’t want to doubt the man, so you merely agreed and Rose gestured to Oleana again, who sharply spoke to you.

“Follow me.”

You brush past Rose and follow the fast-paced woman, who didn’t seem particularly interested in anything going on around her. Maybe she’s one of the spare few people in this Region who didn’t really care for the Gym Challenge - although you would have to say, this is the first person you’ve met that would be like that. You allow her to lead you to a space that looked a lot like a locker room, and Oleana rummages through one of the metal cases and then turns back to you. A uniform is folded neatly in her hands.

“For you, from the Chairman.”

You accept the clothes and look up at her, but before you can have the chance to say anything, she has walked past you and back to where she came from. You suppose you’re expected to change into them, so with a sigh you step into a changing room and quickly switch your outfit. You take a long look at yourself in the mirror, eyes wide and surprised. For being made just overnight and probably in a rush, it was very well done and it suited you perfectly. The fabric was a breathable sporty kind, the colors a black and red. On your back and shorts you, wore the number “020” - despite you having no idea what that meant, you really started to feel like you were going to fit just right in with the Ceremony.

You exited the changing room and tucked your spare clothes away in your bag, taking a deep breath. Even though it was a lot quieter than it was outside, you could hear the distant chatter of voices coming from inside the Stadium where people were already seated and waiting. 

“Hey, you look amazing! Hold on - pose and smile, this is a perfect picture opportunity!”

You see Rotomdex hovering just a few feet away from you, so you smile your best and pose. You hear its camera go off a couple of times, a satisfied buzz ringing afterward. That is, until it freezes up and is looking at something behind you.

“You must be the Alola Champ!”

You nearly jumped out of your skin and you whirled around to be face to face with -

Oh god. Shoot. Okay, play it cool. Sometimes Champions from other Regions just manage to appear out of thin air, that’s completely okay.

“Haha, sorry, didn’t mean to give you a fright! The name’s Leon,” he said, holding out his hand, and for a moment you really did stare at it dumbfounded before you scrambled and shook it, telling him your name. Kindness was twinkling in his eyes, enthusiasm burning in his heart. You’re not sure why, but you’re instantly relaxed with him. He seems so,  _ well…  _ inviting.

“It’s a really big honor to meet you, Leon. I’m really sorry, I had no idea I’d be joining today’s ceremony until last night - “

“Don’t apologize! Honestly, I’m thrilled to hear you’re joining! I was itching to meet you when I saw online that you came to Galar all the way from Alola. Rose was telling me about how he called you last minute and roped you into this. Oh, are you coming to the banquet afterward?”

He was  _ wanting  _ to meet you? And thrilled to hear you were joining? The Champion of the Galar Region even knew who you were?  _ What? _ Maybe you’re being a little too harsh on yourself - you  _ are  _ a Champion after all, from another Region. But a Champion nevertheless. Maybe it’s just frightening to hear about  _ other  _ Champions sometimes because you know they’re either stronger or equally as powerful as you. Yeah. That’s it for sure.

Then you realize you’ve been analyzing everything for about a solid minute, staring at him and saying nothing. 

“Oh! Um, the banquet,  _ yes _ . I’ll definitely be coming.”

You’ll have to if you want to make up for this sad excuse of a first impression you’re giving off. But if it bothers him at all, he doesn’t show it. Instead he grins, holding his hand out. You reach out and high five him.

“Here’s to today! May everything go well for our Challengers, right?”

“Y-Yeah, for sure! I wish them all the best of luck!”

From what clips you’ve seen of this guy in battle, they’re definitely going to need it. 

“It’s about to start, so I should go double check everything’s ready! See you out on the field, mate!”

He turns around and starts to disappear into the locker room again, toward the doors you see in the very back. You exhale slowly, a little confused on what just happened, but Rotomdex comes to settle on your shoulder and you hear its camera shudder again.

“I got a photo of him!”

You roll your eyes. Even now, Rotomdex is still obsessed with that camera feature Kukui gave it…

“He was super nice,” You say, a little wrapped up in the moment you just had with him. Practically brimming with joy and courage, you would go as far to say. Honestly, you’re a little curious on what would happen if the two of you were to battle...

“Knock it off!”

You turn your head in the direction of the sudden shout in the locker room, and you scan the area only to find no one. So curiously, you approach the corner you came from and rounded it. Rose and Oleana weren’t in the hallway anymore - likely making last preparations for the Ceremony - and instead, you found what looked to be like two very young Challengers.

One, a shy freckled boy with green eyes and the other, a tall pale curly white haired boy with a piercing violet gaze. You raised an eyebrow at the commotion, curious to listen in on what exactly was happening.

“How criminal of you to waste your efforts knowing I’m here. You know you won’t get far in this competition while I’m in it, right? Save your breath and energy and quit before it even starts. You still have a chance to leave.” The tall boy said, a smug aura about him. You scrunch your face up in disbelief. Where in the world did a kid that young learn to talk like  _ that _ ? Your mother in all her days if she’d ever heard you speaking to someone else like that,  _ hoo…  _ the earful you would have gotten would have shut you up for a while.

“That’s not true! I can make it!”

“I feel sorry for you, knowing how crushed you will be when you put yourself out there only to humiliate you and your entire family. Don’t ever try talking to me again. Your good luck means nothing to me, only because I know I’m going to win.”

Okay, you heard enough. This kid was a brat and you really don’t have time to witness and tolerate this nonsense.

“You’re acting a little too grown for those britches, aren’t you, kiddo?”

You finally walk out from behind the corner, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. You had your jaw set and foot put down solid against the ground. He was either going to back off or you were going to have to channel your mother’s vibes on the lecture he had coming his way.

“Hm. You as well. You should quit while you’re ahead.”

“ _ Excuse _ me?” You ask, scoffing. 

Wait. He’s looking at you in your uniform. Did... this kid think you were  _ also  _ a Gym Challenger? What in the world? Oh, he was going to be in for one heck of a surprise then. You don’t have time for this and neither does he. The Ceremony would start any minute and no one was going to go out to the field on time if you sat here arguing with a twelve year old. So crossing your arms, you decided you were going to feed this fool a taste of his own medicine.

“I don’t need to. I’ve already made it.”

The kid rolls his eyes, smirk never wavering.

“Whatever. How criminal of you to waste my precious time with a meaningless argument. I’m out of here.”

He flips his hair and walks past you, carrying that know-it-all aura with him. You shake your head, wondering just what in the world gave that kid the right to be so pompous. You turn toward the other boy, voice softening. You  _ really  _ weren’t the best with kids, but hey, you can at least make sure he was okay. It was the right thing to do. What that boy said could really hurt.

“Um… just ignore him.” You say, coming forward to stand in front of him. He couldn’t be any older than twelve—certainly still very impressionable and easily affected by things like that. You felt a little bad for him. You were very thankful you’ve never quite met anyone quite like that before during your own Trials and path to becoming the Champion of Alola. Well, maybe one person comes to mind...

“I’m sure you’re going to do just fine out in the Gym Challenge,” you say, trying your best to muster up some reassurance that wasn’t going to be stressful. But instead, the boy’s eyes began to water, his fists clenched and shaking. You reach out to try and comfort him a little but he shakes his head and steps back, out of your reach.

“Bede may be a jerk, but he’s right. I should have never came here!”

He turns and takes off running, causing you to gasp.

“No, wait—!”

The boy has run too far out of your vision, tears streaming down his face. 

Rotomdex lands on your shoulder, a surprised emote on its screen.

“Bede? Izzz that the other boy’s name?”

You’d have to remember that. You never caught the name of the kid who ran away just now, but you feel your stomach twist in uncomfortable ways. Jeez, you know what it’s like to be frightened in these types of situations, but did that Bede really have to go and make his competition run off? Where was the good sportsmanship? You’re somewhat at a loss, tempted to take off after the boy and you almost do until—

Chairman Rose’s voice booms loudly all of the sudden, and you know the Ceremony has started. You frown, looking at Rotomdex, who gives you an equally hesitant emote.

“I guess I should go stand in with everyone else…”

“I’ll go out into the stands! I’ll make sure to take lotzzz of photozzz! Oh, and I’ll definitely talking to that boy if I see him again!”

It sits wrong with you to leave that boy to run off alone, and you can only hope his parents were around watching somewhere. But you trusted Rotomdex to say kind and encouraging things - it always had to you when you were in need of them. You were just hoping that kid would come back. You walk through the locker room, pushing open a set of doors in the very back where you found people waiting to go out to the field. 

You see who you could only assume are the Gym Leaders. There were seven of them—wait, seven? Weren’t there supposed to be eight? Huh, maybe you misheard something somewhere. That’s odd. Either way, they ranged from very young to old. There was a boy with a mask, a rather fancy elderly lady dressed in pink and blue, an older man with a towel thrown around his shoulders, a pretty woman dressed in all whites, a cheery shorter man with a sun hat on, a stunning tall woman dressed in blues, and finally a tall man with a headband on, taking endless selfies.

Leon was chatting with them all, an easy-going grin on his face as he nodded and didn’t seem to take notice you’d come into the room.

But ah, the fancily dressed elderly woman did.

“The Champion of Alola,” she says, nodding her greeting toward you. You were hesitant, offering a small wave. The Gym Leaders turned their attention toward you, and you felt your face flush with a slight bit of embarrassment. Alright, you knew it was probably obvious, but you didn’t like to be the center of attention. Which is why, in the very back of your mind, you’re kind of regretting accepting this invitation. Still, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t happy you came. It’s a unique experience, a once in a lifetime chance as it’s very possible you won’t be able to come back for a long time to Galar.

At least the Gym Leaders seem nice though…

“Hey, Champ! Are you ready for the spotlight?” Leon says, approaching you and slowly compelling you to join the group. You smile, nodding.

“Definitely! I’m a lot more involved than I was expecting to be today, but I’m excited!”

“Ooh, were you planning on watching?” The tall man who’d been taking selfies said, beaming with happiness. 

“Y-Yeah, when I booked my flight to Galar, I actually reserved a seat to watch. Chairman Rose found out I flew in though and called last night to see if I’d like to be a special guest…”

The elderly woman pursed her lips at the mention of Chairman Rose, which surprised you slightly. Everyone seemed to adore him, so it was slightly strange to see a reaction that’s not completely enthralled by hearing his name. Oh well, no one can be a total people pleaser, you supposed.

“That’s just like him, so spontaneous...” the pretty woman dressed in white said, crossing her arms. You laughed nervously, then realized you hadn’t even properly introduced yourself. You straightened up and told them your name, a little short bit about yourself, then watched as the Gym Leaders lit up.

“Ah, I’m Raihan!” The tall man said, holding out his hand. You shook it with glee. You had a feeling you two would make great friends for some reason.

“My name’s Melony. It’s a pleasure to meet you, love.” The woman in white said, you two shaking hands. She seems like such a kindhearted but strong person - you definitely admired her.

“Kabu. I look forward to chatting more with you at the banquet! Leon told us you were coming.” The man with the towel around his shoulders steps forward. You two shook hands, his grip strong and firm - still, you could undoubtedly see kindness twinkling in the man’s eyes.

“...’M Allister… You look well.” The youngest of the Gym Leaders spoke, hesitantly holding his hand out. You shook it, smiling and nodding. The mask part was slightly odd - but eh, you’re sure you’ve seen stranger things.

“The name is Milo! I’m happy you’re joining us today!” The man wearing the sunhat exclaims, you both shaking hands. He’s what you would call the embodiment of sunshine, practically radiating his naturally warm personality.

“My name is Nessa. I hope you find our Region as lovely as you find Alola. I could give you some tips on great places to visit while you’re here!” The pretty woman in blue says, coming forward as you shake hands. You nod, agreeing with her. That doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all!

“I suppose I’m last but certainly not least! My name is Opal. It’s quite a pleasure to meet you.” You shook her hand gently, and she tenderly shakes back. She seems like she has many years of wise advice under her belt, but there was no mistaking the mischief in her eyes. 

You take a slight step back, giving everyone some space. You distantly hear Rose still talking, and you resume your own chatter among the Gym Leaders. For Alola, it was slightly harder for all of the Trial Captains to meet up and talk like this - they were all on completely separate islands for one, and well… second of all, there weren’t very many occasions where they did have the opportunity to meet up. Huh. Maybe you should change that. If there’s anyone with that capability, it’s you.

All of the sudden, the doors from the back open again. Everyone turns their heads as they do, and Oleana steps through.

“Gym Leaders, you’re on.”

And with that, she was gone. The Gym Leaders all waved, stepping into a formation as they walked toward the doors that would lead them out into the big open field. You watch as cheers rose loudly from the crowd outside as they came into view. You could hear Chairman Rose announcing them individually. Jeez, oh my, it was almost time for you and Leon to go out...

Speaking of, now you were alone with him again. He faces you with his hands on his hips, grin on his face and genuine curiosity overtaking him.

“So, Champ! I can’t say I’m not curious, but what made you go on vacation?”

You fidget slightly. “Oh! Nothing too particular to be honest. I’ve been Champion for three years now without a break, so I decided to take one. I would have loved to go around Alola again, but honestly, I kept seeing videos of the Gym Challenge online and… I knew it was getting close for it to start again…” You trailed off, then sighed, letting your shoulders slump.

“Okay, there’s that, but also? It’s just been so long since I’ve explored anything new.”

Leon nodded in understanding. “Oh, I understand! I have to say, it’s the same for me as well. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a journey of my own.”

You really do wish you could relive your adventure around Alola one more time. Nothing could truly simulate that feeling you had in your chest the entire time and well, maybe this is you trying to chase an adventure you wish could have again. 

“I’m really excited to see all of Galar. I’m so happy I was able to have an opportunity this big to join while I’m here as well.”

“It’s our pleasure! We love having you!”

The doors from the back opened, and you saw Oleana come through. She nods toward the doors.

“You two are on.”

And again, she leaves without another word. 

Leon looks at you, obviously more than ready to walk out onto the big field. You, on the other hand, couldn’t quite shake your stage fright. But you feel a little less scared knowing Leon was going to walk out there with you.

You both stand side by side as you start up a confident stride toward the door, pushing it open and walking out into the open. You could hear Chairman Rose’s voice more clearly now, talking about the Gym Leaders and making a swift transition over to the both of you.

“And now, for a big surprise, I’m more than happy to announce this year we have a special guest who has come out from a far away Region to wish our Challengers good luck on their journeys alongside our very own Champion Leon - “

The cheers in the crowd begin to pick up, so much you feel like your ears ringing as you take your first step out into the field. You take a deep breath, looking at all the faces surrounding you from everywhere. People were going wild, standing out of their seats, snapping photos, clapping. You wave to all of the people, smiling your best. 

“- All the way from the Alola Region, ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce - the Alolan Champion!”

The crowd erupts in shouts of excitement. You can’t even hear yourself think over the boom of Chairman Rose’s microphone and all of the voices coming together to make a cacophony of enthusiasm. You come to stand next to Chairman Rose alongside Leon and the rest of the Gym Leaders, the Challengers all lined up neatly. You could see their expressions range from nervous to eager to jump into the Challenge, and with a smile you spot a familiar face in the midst of all of them, looking mortified.

Bede. What a nice way to find out you smarted off to a Champion from another Region, right?

Suddenly, you were feeling a little snarky. Serves that boy right. 

“Now, Alolan Champ, would you like to give our Challengers a word of advice?”

You froze up as Chairman Rose thrusted the microphone near your face and you took it hesitantly. Okay, you  _ knew _ this was coming… you got this, don’t make it a big deal. You cleared your throat as the crowd finally settled down, waiting to hear what you would say. You approached the group of Challengers, looking over them individually. You couldn’t help but feel slightly nostalgic. They each remind you a lot of when you started out in Alola. 

After a few more moments of silence, you decide on what you wanted to say. Something that you heard back when you were traveling, that always meant a lot to you. 

“Before me now, I see so many bright and intelligent faces. All of you have so much potential in your hearts, and I want to let you know, no matter what happens, you’re going to go so far in life. You’re all so incredibly strong and brave, and with the bonds you make with your Pokemon, you will be able to make great positive change in the world.”

You take a deep breath, meeting each of the Challenger’s gazes, who were mesmerized with you.

“To each of you, I wish you the best of luck out in the Challenge! You’ll all do absolutely amazing, I just know it!”

You lower the microphone away from your mouth. You smile as the crowd lights up again with  _ awws  _ and clapping. You approach Chairman Rose and return the mic, coming to stand beside Leon again, tucking your arms behind your back.

Chairman Rose nods to you, gesturing to the line up of the kids. “Such kind and wise words from you! I’m sure our Challengers greatly appreciate your sentiments! What have you to say yourself, Leon?”

You wave to the crowd again as they start up even more, more than glad you were able to give such a short but apparently good enough speech to satiate them. You did mean every word though. Those kids have a lot to look forward to in life, and if they didn’t make the Challenge all the way through this time, they needed to know next year was always a thing - or if they found a different path in life to follow, then that was absolutely fine too.

Chairman Rose gives the mic over to Leon, who does the same as you did and faces the Challengers.

“Much like my friend has just said, it’s very true. I see nothing but great potential in each of you. You all have made such a great remark already, simply just by being here today. It shows how much you believe in yourselves, and for that I tremendously admire you!”

Leon turns to Rose. “Chairman Rose, I believe there is only one thing left to be said now!”

The crowd goes absolutely wild. You were suspecting the Ceremony is finally coming to an end - as short was it was, being only an introductory event and all.

Leon hands the microphone back, and Chairman Rose comes forward, and as if on cue the crowd quiets down again. He bows his head slightly, hand over his heart.

“I believe with that, my friends… I can confidently say this.”

Everything is suddenly very silent. You watch as Leon bows his head, along with the rest of the Gym Leaders, so you feel the need to do the same. The crowd waits in anticipation, and you watch in awe as Chairman Rose throws his free hand up into the air.

“May The Challenge begin!”

Now everything is so loud it’s almost deafening. The Challengers themselves begin to cheer, jumping up and down as they all face one another and offer wishes of good luck and good rivalry. You feel Leon tap your shoulder, and you turn to him. He’s holding out his hand again. You smile, reaching out to high five him. The Gym Leaders exchange small talk again briefly as Chairman Rose waves his hand through the air, and suddenly the Stadium is a whole lot darker as some of the lights dim and go out. 

Chairman Rose approaches you, a pleased expression on his face.

“You did absolutely amazing! Fantastic! I am certainly impressed!”

You feel your heart fill with accomplishment. Good to know you didn’t mess up in anyway at the very least. You don’t think you could have handled yourself if you screwed up a speech in front of hundreds and thousands of people.

“Thank you, Mr. Rose! That means a lot to me!”

“Of course, of course! Oh, and about the banquet… it starts later this evening, around seven. It’ll be in Hammerlock at the Stadium there. It’ll be the Gym Leaders, myself, Leon, and - oh, I do believe Leon invited a guest or two to come. You’ll still be attending, right?”

You nod in earnest. “Oh yes, of course! I wouldn’t miss it for the world! I’ll be there!”

“Superb! See you then!”

And with that, the opening Ceremony was officially  _ over _ .

**…**

“You did great out there, for real! I got lotzzz of photozzz! I’ll have to send them to Kukui, he wanted to see you out there!”

You were back at the house, reclining on one of the couches and resting. You know a whole lot didn’t happen today, but still—you were around a lot of people and going to be again later, you wanted to recharge at least a little. You were very tired, and you knew if you wanted to keep up a good impression with the Gym Leaders you were going to need all of the energy you could get. Rotom was showing you all of the photos it took, up close shots of you and Leon next to one another and all of the Gym Leaders lined up.

Then, something came to find.

“No luck on finding the boy that ran off?” You asked, sitting up finally. Rotom made a displeased buzzing noise, shutting off the camera roll on its screen.

“I saw him walking off with hizzz parentzzz. I suppose what that Bede said really got to him in the end…”

You roll your eyes at the mention of the kid.

“Jeez, just who is he to act like that? He sure is full of himself. I may not be apart of this whole Challenge but I can say from experience, things like this are a lot harder than it appears.”

“I hope he learnzzz his lesson soon! That was really mean!”

You agreed. But you were too irate over the whole thing to want to give it a lot of thought, so you lay your head back down with a sigh. 

“Me too. He’ll get caught sooner or later with an attitude like that.”

You didn’t really care to turn on the TV—most of the channels were broadcasting recaps of the Ceremony and well—you were kind of there, so you knew what happened already. It’s all over social media as well, so much to the point you had to turn notifications off on your phone to prevent it from blowing up. You had to admit though, you’re honored you got to share that spotlight with Leon. 

“Agh, the banquet starts soon,” you mumbled aloud to no one really but yourself. You needed to get up and freshen up. You promised you would be there, so no going back on your own word.

You reluctantly swung your legs over the edge of the couch and stood up. You walked over to a nearby mirror and made sure you didn’t have any wrinkles on this uniform Chairman Rose gifted you and that you didn’t have any stray hairs sticking up. You were getting hungry, though. It was close enough for it to start for you to go ahead and make your way over there.

“Okay, I guess we should go. You coming, Rotom?”

“Yezzz, ready when you are!”

You pulled out your phone again and quickly dialed that Corviknight Taxi number and typed in the location you needed to go. You stood by the window of the house and waited for the bird Pokémon to appear.

“Oh, oh, I’ll be able to read it’s Pokédex entry now! I’ll tell you what it says!”

Rotom sits on your shoulder and waits alongside you. About five minutes later, there’s a loud flapping of wings and a gentle thud on the ground outside, signaling your ride was here. You stepped outside of the house and saw the Corviknight standing tall, looking down at you patiently.

Rotom chirps and buzzes for a moment, then talks.

“Bzzt! Corviknight, the steel and flying type Pokémon! It’s impressive flying skills and loyalty to trainers have proven it mighty capable of being a reliable source of transportation for the people of Galar!”

You climb inside the carrier, shutting the door securely as Rotom seats itself across from you. You smiled, nodding.

“Ah, that’s pretty cool. I guess I could gather that from just the taxi service itself.”

“Zzt! Hey! I’m trying to be helpful!”

You snicker. “You’re doing wonderfully, Rotom. Didn’t know it was a steel and flying type at least.”

Rotom’s screen flashes with a happy emote.

“See! There’zzz something new for you!”

You have no idea what you would do without Rotom. You’re honestly more than happy you two became traveling buddies three years ago back in Alola. Maybe it’s kind of weird, but you’re far from ashamed to admit Rotom was practically your best friend. And like best friends do, sometimes, you just tease it gently.

You feel the carrier lift off of the ground, and you take a deep breath as you watch yourself rise higher into the sky. You still feel a little sick once you start soaring—curse air sickness—but it’s not too bad as the Corviknight holds on steady to the carrier. It really is impressive considering how quickly it was flying through the air.

Soon, you feel yourself start to descend. You take a deep breath, settling your stomach as you make contact with the ground again. Like before as you’re climbing out, you make sure to tip the Taxi well. The Corviknight caws in appreciation before spreading its wings and taking off back into the sky again.

You turn around and take in the sights before you.

Similar to Motostoke, the city had a rustic feeling to it—but in a very unique way. It was definitely older, with cobblestone streets and homes that had very many years showing on their bricks. It was  _ beautiful _ . You couldn’t help but enjoy a few moments of examining the people and buildings surrounding you, and you finally release a breath you didn’t recognize you were holding it. Rotom’s camera shudder is going off like crazy again, and you laugh slightly as it turns toward you. You don’t even have to be asked—you pose and smile, letting it take a few photos. In the distance, you’re able to see a very tall structure with a chained bridge and grand entrance.

You would bet your money on that’s where you needed to go.

“Come on,” you tell Rotom. It shuts off the camera with a buzz and nods, following you as you walk through the surprisingly not too busy streets and make your way toward the entrance of the building. You’re still caught up in looking at the sights though, so much to the point you really don’t hear the shouting that’s coming in the distance.

“Look out!”

You barely have time to register what someone is yelling at you that you have about a handful of seconds to glance up, see a ball of white fluff rolling toward you, and only a moment later did it make impact with you. You fell on the ground, wincing as you make contact with the stone underneath you. You hiss, rubbing the sore spot that’s formed on the back of your head as a familiar person comes into view.

“Oh gosh—I’m SO sorry!”

Milo.

You look down at said ball of white fluff and gasp aloud.

It may have knocked you on your butt, yet it’s the CUTEST thing you’ve possibly ever seen.

Milo helps you to your feet, and you brush off the excess dirt that clung to your uniform. He looks genuinely apologetic.

“I’m so so so sorry,” Milo says again, and you hold up a hand with a smile. “It’s okay! Who’s this little fella?”

Rotom sweeps in with glee.

“Allow me! Bzzt…! Ah, I see! Wooloo, the normal type sheep Pokémon! It tends to roll away whenever it’s scared or in danger. Cloth made from its wool is incredibly strong!”

You nod in understanding, looking down at the Wooloo by your feet, who’s standing cutely now.

“Yes, that’s right—ah, I’m really sorry! She’s actually super sweet, but she heard a noise that scared her and she went rolling away.”

You squat down enough to reach your hand out. The Wooloo sniffs your hand for a moment before pushing into it, making your fingers weave into her plush and soft wool on her head. She squeals in content as you gently pet her, and Milo sighs in relief.

“As long as you’re okay… taking a tackle from a Wooloo head on can be rough on the back! Ah, you’re here for the banquet, right? Follow me! I’ll lead you in!”

You stand up straight, and to your surprise the Wooloo waddles closer to you. Oh gosh, if she keeps this up you’ll have to apologize to Milo and swaddle her up to take her with you. How can you resist a face that adorable?! 

You follow Milo into the grand Hammerlocke Stadium, where he pushes open a set of doors that leads to a wide open office space. That’s right, Chairman Rose mentioned that this was his power plant office, didn’t he? That would explain it. You can see all of the Gym Leaders standing around a lavishly decorated table, and when you walk in, the Gym Leaders wave at the both of you. Chairman Rose is sitting at the head of the table, Oleana standing next to him with her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes closed, as if deep in thought about something.

“Glad you could make it!” Rose exclaims, waving you both closer. “Unfortunately Leon can’t make it tonight. He’s a little busy with something.”

Strange… he seemed excited about the banquet earlier. You couldn’t help but wonder what came up in such a short amount of time, but you smile nevertheless and take a seat in one of the chairs. The rest of the Gym Leaders followed suit, still keeping up casually conversation. Rotom takes its usual seat on your shoulder, clicking pictures left and right. 

“How did you find the Ceremony?” Nessa asks you, sitting across from you.

You take a sip of the glass of water on the table, and nod.

“It was amazing! I’m glad I was apart of it!”

“I’ll say, this year was the most packed it’s ever been—and that’s saying something!” Raihan exclaims, clapping his hands together. 

“I’ve never seen so many Challengers and people,” Melony continues, holding a wine glass in her hand filled with a red liquid. “For as long as I’ve been doing this, I never thought the crowd could get any bigger.”

“...You’re telling me,” Allister mumbles, swinging his legs in his chair. He’s looking down, too shy to look up.

Doors in another part of the room open up, and suddenly people filed in, carrying silver covered platters and different glasses filled with a variety of drinks. They were all neatly set on the empty spaces on the table, the tops of the platters being pulled away to reveal fancy dishes you don’t think you’ve ever seen before. It all smells absolutely delicious, and you have to resist making your own eyes pop out of your skull from the rich flavors and scents filling the room.

Everyone says their thanks to the cooks, and before anyone has a chance to dig in, Chairman Rose stands and clears his throat. The room falls silent.

He lifts his glass into the air, and simultaneously everyone grabs onto theirs, so impulsively you do too.

“Everyone, I propose a toast. To a fair Challenge this year and good sportsmanship for all. I can’t say I know why, but deep down in my heart I just have this feeling this year will be a memorable year for the Challenge! To a great year for our Challenge!”

Everyone repeats the last part, clinking their glasses together and taking a drink. Finally, you were able to dig into the food. You lick your lips and decide what you were going for first, and finally you decided on what  _ almost _ looked like a soup in a deep dish in front of you. You pour some onto your plate, pick up a spoon and dig in without a second thought. 

Your eyes go wide. This was…  _ amazing _ .

“Sweet cream curry,” Opal tells you, who is sitting right next to you. “It’s one of my favorites. Always liked sweeter things, I did. Would you pass me a roll, dear?”

“Oh, of course!”

You hand her one and take one for yourself. Rotom takes photos of your plate and offers to upload them to your social media, and with a laugh you nod. Might as well, right? It’s  _ definitely _ a social media worthy moment.

“Got any other big plans while you’re here?” Raihan asks you, and you shake your head.

“Not really, to be honest! I mostly plan to travel around as much as I can.”

“Sounds like a good time! You should stop by Hulbury at some point, I’ll show you around the lighthouse.”

Ah, you’ve seen the lighthouse in photos before. You agree with Nessa—that would definitely be a good thing to visit. Rotom would probably short out in excitement to take pictures of that scenery. 

Oh, but you can’t help but ask…

“So, Mr. Rose, what came up with Leon if it’s okay for me to ask?”

Rose sets down his glass, and for a moment you see notable… disappointment in his eyes? Strange, because back at the Ceremony they seemed like best buddies. Anyone can keep up appearances, but they seemed genuine in those few moments. He cleared his throat again, patting the corner of his mouth. Oleana’s face suddenly twisted up in irritation. 

“Ah, he called to tell me he was going to see his family tonight. I understand, I really do.”

It didn’t sound like he did though, given he didn’t even try to sound convincing. You spot Opal’s displeased expression again, and you can’t help but feel like there’s something…  _ big _ you’re missing out on. How could you know? You’d barely been here a day and a half, who knew what drama was going down here. You’re not too sure you want to find out either—it really isn’t your place to snoop around in anyone’s business after all. 

“I get it,” you say. Something about that… almost didn’t seem true though. Like Rose had to scramble up an excuse for Leon. 

Rose, as if to change the subject as quickly as possible, holds up a golden teapot sitting next to him.

“Oh, you should try this splendid tea! I’ll pass you the sugar cubes as well!”

**…**

The banquet ended on a good note, as weird as that sudden tense moment in the middle happened. You finished up eating and talked with the Leaders for a little bit longer, petting Milo’s Wooloo as she kept nudging your leg for attention and smiling as the Leaders recounted some stories to you from their time in their Gym positions. You found yourself comfortable enough to tell stories of your own being Champion and recollections of when you started out on your own journey back in Alola. You even told them things back when you grew up in Unova, which sparked curiosity and surprise in everyone. 

At the end of the night, you got along just fine with them, and all of them had been registered in your phone and followed you on social media in order to keep in contact with you even after you returned home to Alola. You were incredibly pleased—for as shy as you knew you were, you were making great friends while you were here. 

It’s as you were leaving the Stadium that you took notice of something on top of a structure in the distance as you begin to walk away, preparing to call for a Corviknight Taxi to take you back to Motostoke. Or rather, you notice  _ someone _ .

Wait…

Isn’t that Leon?

Didn’t Rose say that Leon was visiting some family? You briefly remember in the midst of all the talk at the banquet, the Leaders mentioned Leon was from a small town at the very start of Galar called Postwick. In that case, what was he doing here?

You knew something fishy was going on…

So against your better judgement, you head in the direction of a tall staircase and start to climb it. You had to ask what was up with him. 

You were out of breath by the time you reached the top of the steps, but you swallow harshly and exhale, evening out your air intake as you approached him. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea in case something was wrong, but Leon was a very nice man and you couldn’t help but make sure he was okay.

“Leon?”

He jumps, turning toward you. He smiles nervously as he sees you, hands on his hips. Despite the front he’s putting up, you can clearly see something wasn’t right with him. 

“Hey, Champ! Sorry, you startled me! Aha, guess that’s payback from before, right?”

You can tell he’s clearly avoiding the topic at hand, but you play along for the moment.

“I suppose! Sorry, didn’t mean to. Hey, I thought you were coming to the banquet tonight? What was up?”

Leon tries to uphold that confident smile, but he lets it waved and fail as his shoulders slump slightly. He turns to look out over the ledge he was standing by again, leaning against it.

“Sorry, mate, I really did want to come. I just wasn’t feeling it all of the sudden.”

“Rose said you were visiting family.”

Leon tenses up. He clicks his tongue, then looks back at you. “Did he now? I guess it’s not totally wrong. My little brother Hop was in the Ceremony earlier and I checked in with him and a childhood friend of mine. You might see her while you’re out exploring, by the way. Her name is Sonia.”

You’d have to keep that in mind, but that still doesn’t really clear up why he didn’t come. You can tell pretty clearly though he’s not going to budge on an explanation and well… who were you to demand it? You barely know him, it wouldn’t be very nice to prod. So instead, you take out your phone and hold it out to him.

“Hey, let’s trade phone numbers! We’ll be able to call one another anytime!”

For the first time this entire short interaction, he lights up again and nods, taking your phone out of your hand and putting in his number and you do the same with his. You come to stand beside of him again, and you find yourself enraptured in a conversation with him for a while. He tells you little things about Galar and suggests some places for you to visit while you’re here. 

“Being Champion is stressful sometimes,” he comments suddenly, and you raise an eyebrow.

“Oh, I don’t disagree one bit. But the work is fulfilling though, right?”

He nods, but doesn’t look at you.

“It is. It’s scary sometimes to think you won’t be able to protect everyone when the time comes though.”

“...What?”

Leon shakes his head, finally meeting your gaze.

“Oh, sorry, I don’t mean to sound so dramatic! Just thinking aloud. I think I’m gonna take off again, but feel free to call me anytime, mate!”

He pulls you in for a brief hug, then throws a Pokeball into the air and releases his infamous partner—Charizard. The Pokémon allows Leon to climb into his back and with one final wave, he takes off into the sky and starts flying into the distance.

Rotom snaps a photo.

Although, you’re not entirely sure you agree this was a moment worth a thousand words.

“...Hey, Rotom?”

Rotom looks at you, a curious emote floating upon its screen.

“Yezzz?”

You frown.

“Is it just me, or is there something weird going on here?”

Rotom buzzes for a few seconds, glancing at where Leon had flew off in the sky. Then it beeps.

“Mm, I think it’zzz just you!”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the kid bede ran off is just some random kid sO like yeah it’s not any character in particular.
> 
> also thank y’all so much?? I honestly didn’t think this fic would attract this many likes kshdndjsj 
> 
> excuse any mistakes—I wrote this on my laggy asf laptop and tried to catch as many as possible but pardon them if there’s any.

**Author's Note:**

> okaaaay so I said I’d explain more here I am
> 
> so this is actually supposed to follow my Pokémon oc named Lake, but I decided to expand this slightly and make it a reader insert. so yeah. there’s why the reader isn’t the player characters from sun and moon.
> 
> while this WILL follow the plot of Galar, I want this to like... follow the behind the scenes, you know? like when Sonia and Leon took care of a lot of the major plot things. anyway I’m not gonna spoil too much so yeah.
> 
> also fun fact, reader’s toucannon is shiny but like. I didn’t know how to mention it so. yeah.


End file.
